Dimestore Prophets suggest: Be Yourself

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If just for one moment, take away the brisk wind, deep forest, and heavy rainfall of Washington State, and replace with a refreshing breeze, oceanic horizon, and warm sunshine – just look at their Tiki Man artwork. That’s the true feeling of Washington’s Moses Lake based trio, Dimestore Prophets.

Best described as groovy reggae, Dimestore Prophets grant their EP, Be Yourself, to the world as an escape from overcrowded freeways, dreary office cubicles, and every single tiresome Monday morning in history. Maybe, just maybe, Be Yourself could be the cure to depression. Dimestore Prophet’s “feel good music” radiates happiness from every angle: the lyrics, which intertwine new puppy love romance and cheerful weather, and the music, which mimics the easygoing, blunt-smoking style of Sublime and Jack Johnson.

If there’s an overall lesson to be learned, it’s that it’s more than okay if the only thing you did today was breathe. Just listen to Dimestore Prophet’s first track, “Be Yourself (In Time)” if you want the world’s orbit to slow down for a moment. However, the EP Be Yourself is more than just a soundtrack to Hawaii’s islander lifestyle, it’s also a love story.

Be Yourself’s songs “Good Lovin’” and “Sunny Day” not-so-subtly hint that band members Ray, John and Eric are optimistic hopeless romantics, which is refreshing since we, sadly, live in world where publicly dissing exes is the norm. With that said, Dimestore Prophets’ let’s-piss-away-responsibility-and-go-to-the-beach EP feels one-noted. No doubt that Be Yourself’s positive energy is contagious, especially to the Pacific Northwest, where Dimestore Prophets’ members hail from.

So far, the prophets have played over 200 shows in the last four years all over the Pacific Northwest. Nonetheless, after countless allusions to the sun and a women’s love, listeners wonder about Dimestore Prophet’s other interests and passions.

Thankfully, their hit “Draw For Love” exclaims a darker, more rock ‘n’ roll outlook on relationships. Vocalist and guitarist, Ray Glover, reaches deep down into his heart and vocal chords to shamelessly bare a selfless love that was not reciprocated. All the while, John Wilson hits harder on the drums, which echoes the dispirited lyrics in relation to Eric Groff, whose bass notes sound as heavy as a broken heart.

“Draw for Love” comes as a pleasant surprise on the EP, as it exposes an ominous side to love, rather than only rainbows and butterflies – oh, and sunshine. Almost forgot to include Dimestore Prophet’s favorite word. Granted, Be Yourself is a six-track EP, which gives hope that a future full-length LP will feel more multifaceted, like a surprising, unpredictable weather storm.

Sophie Radvan

Sophie is a recent graduate from Arizona State University with a BA in Film and Media Studies. Born in London, and raised in Prague, she is a natural born traveller, which led to exploring Southeast Asia and most recently, Alaska. Whilst traveling, she’s expanded her knowledge and passion for foreign film and music. Upon moving to Los Angeles, she’s worked on television sets, a 2014 Sundance short, and participated in a live taping of “America’s Got Talent.” Sophie’s attentiveness for music began at seventeen, when she first gained access to the senior lounge’s speaker system, and often got into trouble for blasting explicit lyrics through her high school’s hallways. In her free time, Sophie spends countless hours at the movies, tattoo parlors, and local dog parks.